Animatic Storyboard

Story board & Cast

The edits at the beginning before the stop motion will be fast paced like a montage. The shots before the stop motion are to set up the narrative and explain why the stop motion is being made. The edits also need to be fast during the stop motion in order to make it look like the characters are moving fluently. I decided to use a montage edit to set up the video because I think it looks really good and gives the narrative more depth. An example of a music video that has montage editing before the music begins is 'She's Kinda Hot'- 5 Seconds of Summer

Another video by them that uses this technique is 'Hey Everybody'. Like my video, it has a montage before it that sets up the narrative to the video. However, this video has dialogue and a voice over. I have chosen not to do this as I didn't feel like my video needed this in order for it to make sense. I think the montage will make sense without sound. 

The stop frame animation is of a band containing 3 people. It shows them practicing and splitting up. It also shows the main character performing to a crowd. For the stop motion, I need to make sets for the characters to stand in front of because it will look better than them just being stood in front of a wall like they are in my practice shots.

I have chosen to do mine about a boy because there are a lot of videos that have children in them. Even though the videos have children in them, they still appeal to the target audience of 16-25 year olds. This is because it allows the audience to look back to when they were younger, this means that they might be able to relate to it because of similarities between their own childhoods and the ones portrayed in the videos.

Examples:

Questionnaire

These are the questions I have put into my questionnaire.

1. Where do you listen to music and why?
2. What radio stations, if any, do you listen to most and why?
3. What do you enjoy about music videos?
4. Does there need to be a narrative to a music video, why or why not?
5. What age are most of the artists you listen to?
6. Do you need to see the artist in the video, why or why not?
7. What age are the people in the videos you watch?
8. What themes do you expect to see in a music video and why?
9. Do you expect a video to be serious or funny, why?
10. What genres of music do you listen to?

Analysis:

Everyone gave very similar responses. This is because everyone who responded are similar ages therefore they have similar tastes in music. They all gave very similar answers because this is the music that they are able to listen to most. Radio stations and music channels play music that people request meaning they play the same songs. This is why people will have a similar taste in music. That is also why the age of the artists are similar because they will listen to similar artists to each other.

Audience Demographics and Institution Profile

Social demographics are the categories people are placed into based on their occupation. 

The people in social groups C2/D/E are stereotyped to like rock, pop and rap. This is because these are the types of music that are the easiest for them to access. They also reflect their ideology and show people in the video that are the same or similar age to them. They also include narratives or give messages that the audience want to see which is why they consume them the most compared to other genres of music. 

Other social groups are not likely to listen to this music as they will be older and will have a different ideology. People in social grade A are more likely to be listening to classical music as this is what is going to appeal to them. Classical music videos also don't have music videos. This is because they don't appeal to that target audience so therefore aren't made. The lack of music video also shows that they are older than people in social grade C2 or lower. The younger audience like to have a music video as it gives them something to look at and talk about. By having a music video, they are able to go onto social media and talk about it and get it trending. People in social groups A and B aren't as likely to want to talk about a music video on their social media sites. They are likely to be more interested in things like politics or the news rather than a new music video release.

It is important for the institutions to know and understand the social demographics so that they are able to produce a video or song that will appeal to their target audience. This means they are likely to have people in their video that are the same or similar age to the audience. This is so that the audience find it easier to relate to them as they understand what it is like to be that age. It also means that the people in the video will be doing activities that the audience might do themselves. The lyrics also need to appeal to the audience. If the audience aren't able to understand the lyrics, they aren't as likely to consume it as they can't relate to it.

A good way for the institution to see if the video has gone down well with the audience is to see how they have responded to it on YouTube and social media sites. This is the easiest way to see exactly what the audience think as people that are in the C2/D/E social grade are likely to say exactly what they thought of it. By giving this truthful response, it is easy for the institution to see if they have made a successful product or not. 

Other radio stations that play rock music are: Absolute Radio, Planet Rock and Radio X. 

The music industry is always changing itself to appeal to its main audience which are teenagers and young adults. They do this by looking at what music is being consumed the most and then that is what music is made and played. Radio stations that are aimed at a younger audience want them to keep listening so they need to play the music that they will want to consume. The music industry relies on the young people with the disposable income to purchase their music. 

This means that they need to put their music somewhere that it is easy for the audience to access in order for them to keep consuming. People used to go down to music stores like HMV to buy their music.

But now, people aren't buying their music from there as much as the idea of going to a music shop is not as popular as it used to be. Now, people are listening/purchasing their music on sites like YouTube, Spotify and iTunes.

The reason people are getting their music from these sites is because they are able to access and purchase it from home. It is more appealing to the target audience to get their music without having to leave their bedrooms. This has meant that some music stores have closed because they aren't generating enough money from sales.

Merchandise is something that has been helping make the industry money for years. The audience are always wanting new merchandise to buy and they like to compare their merchandise with other people who are fans of the same music as them. The music industry makes all kinds of merchandise now because their is a big market for it.

Now, the artists are even designing the merchandise themselves so that the audience are more likely to buy it.

The media has two very different opinions of rock music. Older rock music is thought of more highly than modern rock music. This is because rock music has changed. Rock music used to be mainly about love. Now, rock music has become a sign of rebellion and standing up for yourself, which has created a negative image in the media. The media portrays modern rock music as being bad for the audience to consume because it is not giving out the right message. Which for some rock music, this is true. But for most modern rock music, it is not the case.

Initial Ideas

Textual Analysis 2

Mise-en-scene:

• Black room-he is in a bad place-he wants to be alone
• Doorway is the only thing letting light into the room-he is trying to get to the light (a good place)
• Band performance-seems like they are on their own
• Rain- pathetic fallacy-reflecting his mood
• His surroundings are appearing as he walks around the corner as he is remembering them
• The band are now performing to a crowd

Cinematography:

• Low angle-doesn’t want to show the woman straight away
• Camera just shows her legs and then her running her fingers through her hair-sexualised
• High angle makes the band look really vulnerable
• Slow motion-emphasising her appeal
• Split shot-the camera is showing her in minimal clothing and him not paying any attention-trying to block out the memory
• Extreme close up-keeps your attention-hard to look away
• Close-up shows him looking at the ground-he could be depressed
• High angle shows the crowd
• Shot/reverse shot-shows that they are trying to get to each other
• She is in the club he is performing in-camera zooms in like she is walking towards the stage

Editing:

• Woman fades into shot-she is a memory-becomes in colour-good memory
• The colour comes into the shots-he is re-living his memories
• Just as he looks at her she fades away-he wants to re-visit the memory but it won’t let him
• Colour leaves again-he is back to a bad place as he is remembering her
• When he turns around-the colour returns-he is having another flashback/memory
• When the car passes-she disappears-she has been taken away from him-colour goes again
• Slow motion-emphasises how sad he is
• Fast paced editing shows that his memory is happening really fast
• They are alone in a room-when he pushes her-they return to the club-shows it from their perspective-they see it as if it is just the two of them but in reality they are surrounded by other people
• Cuts to him turning away-after all of this-he doesn’t want her anymore

Sound:

• Just the song

Textual Analysis

In this essay I will be analysing ‘How you remind me’ by Nickelback.

Mise-en-scene:

At the beginning of the video, he is sat in a black room. This could represent him being in a bad place about his past relationship. The curtains are also closed; this shows that he just wants to be alone to think about what has happened. The lyrics ‘this is how you remind me of what I really am’ suggests that he cheated on her. In the room he is sat in, the only bit of light is from the doorway. This could be to represent that he wants to get to the light (a good place) but he is currently stuck in the dark (a bad place).

When the band are performing it seems like they are just doing it for the camera, but later on in the video it is revealed that they are actually performing as part of the narrative. This is shown when the crowd are shown and they are on the stage.

When he goes outside, it is raining. This is pathetic fallacy and is used to reflect his mood. He is still upset about the breakdown of his relationship so the rain is there to show that. As he is walking round the corner, his surroundings are starting to appear, this shows how he is remembering what everything looked like that day.

Cinematography:

The low angle at the beginning shows the woman’s legs. This is showing it from his point of view (Mulvey) and how she is sexualised to him. It then shows her running her fingers through her hair. It is only showing shots of her looking sexualised. This is to re-enforce the idea that it is from the male perspective. It is also showing what he misses from the relationship.

The high angle above the band makes them look vulnerable. When people come out of a relationship, they can feel quite vulnerable because they are so upset. When the woman is walking, it is slow motion, this is to emphasise her appeal to him. It also makes it seem like it is a memory of her that he is trying to hold onto. When they are in the bedroom, the shot is split into two. One side of the camera is showing her in minimal clothing and on the other side of him sat on the bed not looking at her. It seems like he doesn’t want to look because if he does, he will want her back. So he is not looking on order to block out the memory of her. He also has his head in his hands which shows him blocking it out.

The extreme close-up of her eyes makes it seem like she is trying to get his attention and hold it. It is even hard for the audience to look away from her and they aren’t even involved in the relationship. When he is walking down the street, the use of close-ups is to show him looking at the floor. When someone is guilty they look down at the floor. This shows that he knows he has done wrong.

When they are in the club together, shot/reverse shot is used. This is to show them looking at each other. It also shows how they are trying to get to each other. When she is shown dancing the club, it seems like she is just in a club, but it becomes apparent she is in the club he is performing in.

Editing:

When the woman walks through the door, she fades into shot. This is to show that it is a memory he is having of her. Whenever she is in shot, the colour comes back, but when she leaves it goes back to being dull. This is to show that he is really missing her. When he looks back at her, she fades away again. He seems to want to re-visit the memory but the memory won’t let him. When she is walking across the road, the car goes past and she disappears. This is to show that she has left him. The slow motion used reflects how he feels about what he has done.

When they are alone, the editing pace increases. This is to show that it is all happening very quickly and it also makes it seem more intimate. It shows them alone in the room but when he pushes her away, they are back in the club. This is to show it from their perspective. For them it seems like it is just them in the room but in reality it is a busy nightclub. In the end when she is in the club with him, she turns away. This is to show that after all the flashbacks/memories he has been having, he doesn’t want her anymore.

Sound:

The only sound used in the video is the song.

Through the use of Mise-en-scene, Cinematography, editing and sound, the video is able to show the how he feels about the relationship and it also shows what could have happened. It never actually states the exact reason but it is implied that he cheated.

Textual Analysis 1

5 Seconds of Summer ‘She’s Kinda Hot’

Mise-en-scene

• Nice looking house
• Garage/basement – looks like a workshop
• Shows them using tools- they are making something
• Shows his living area- it isn’t what you would expect the house to look like from what it looked like outside-starts the narrative
• Cuts to being inside a therapists office-shows the young people in the narrative have problems
• Shows the teenage boys to be tired and have some kind of problem
• Playing instruments and lip syncing-performance- telling the narrative
• The teenager is ignoring the girls around him even though they are shouting at him
• The girls are dressed in bright colours-trying to be noticed
• Animations used to help tell the narrative
• Therapist is moving around the boy-trying to intimidate him
• Shows the moon-shows that they are performing outside
• The background is dark in contrast to the machine they have made-they are trying to stand out and be noticed
• The teenage boy runs out-shows him looking down the street then cuts to a shot of the band performing-shows what he is looking at
• Big crowd of teenagers around the thing they made-they have now become part of the narrative
• Flags-a sign of revolution/rebellion

Cinematography

• Establishing shot (house) – camera zooms in a little bit
• Low angle shot-makes what they are doing with the tools seem important
• Camera is at an angle that makes it look like the camera is the TV
• Camera wobbles slightly when he is eating his breakfast-shows he is tired
• Low angle shot-trying to show the therapists dominance compared to the teenager
• The camera freezes on a shot to emphasise how tired he is of being treated this way
• Rule of thirds-boy in the middle is being picked on and is lower in the shot than the two boys who are picking on him
• Low angle shot to show they are proud of the work they have been doing
• Low angle shot to show the garage door opening
• Close shots of it-like it is being revealed
• Low angle shot from the front of it to make it look really big and powerful
• Shots of the teenagers clapping-they are part of the song they are singing
• Close-ups of the band-shows they are leading the rebellion ‘we are the leaders of the not coming backs’
• Low angle shot-the teenagers are looking up to the band

Editing

• fast paced editing to show them all making something
• cuts between the narrative and them making something-shows that this is happening at the same time
• split screen to show what the girls are doing to the boy
• split screen to show the therapist and what she has written about him-the love heart on the ‘I’ shows that she doesn’t really care
• split screen to show the boy and what he is looking at
• cuts between performance and narrative
• split screen shows them ringing a doorbell to invite people out
• quickly cuts to a blueprint of the thing they have been making
• split screen to show all the teenagers coming out to see them perform

Sound

• Insect sound at the beginning- house is in a quiet neighbourhood
• noises of the tools (verisimilitude)
• the song-does have some of the noise from the narrative
• as the music gets faster-it shows the two teenage boys rebelling
• police sirens-the adults have reported them for rebelling

Textual Analysis

In this essay I am going to analyse ‘She’s Kinda Hot’ by 5 Seconds of Summer.

Mise-en-scene:

The video starts by showing a nice looking house. This is then contrasted by the inside of the house which looks like a workshop.  It doesn’t look like what you would expect from a house that looks so nice from the outside. It then shows them all using tools to make something, this is what properly starts the narrative because you are wondering what they are making.

The next shot is of a teenager in his house. The camera is quite far away from him so that it is able to show his living area and it makes t clear that it is his house based on what it looks like. It is a very conventional looking room for a teenager with music everywhere and it is quite messy. The camera then cuts to another teenager who is in therapy. Both teenagers are shown to have some sort of problem. One of them is in therapy so he must be suffering mentally problem, and the other teenager is being picked on so he is suffering physically.

It then shows the band playing their instruments and singing. This performance part of the video is not part of the narrative but it is helping tell the narrative. The video then returns to the narrative when the teenager in his living room is being shouted at by some girls. All the girls are dressed in bright clothing; this is to make them stand out and makes them difficult to not notice. But the camera shows the teenager ignoring them.

The therapy scenes are used to help show how the other teenager is being intimidated by someone who is stereotyped as being there to help him. The intimidation is shown when she is stood over him trying to make him feel small and powerless.

When the chorus of the video plays it cuts to the band on the machine they have been shown making. The machine is really bright compared to the street they are on which is dark. This is so that they can be noticed by the people they are trying to reach out to (teenagers). The teenagers are all shown running towards the machine they have made. The camera shows them looking at something then it cuts to what they are looking at. It also creates the idea that they are all in it together and are all aiming for the same thing. A lot of the teenagers are shown holding and waving flags. This is to symbolize the sign of revolution/rebellion.

Cinematography:

The video starts with an establishing shot of the house where the machine is being built. The camera also zooms in on it a little to make it seem like the house is drawing you in to see what is happening inside. The low angle shot of them making the machine makes it seem like what they are doing is really important. When the shot of the teenager in his house is shown, the camera looks like it is the TV he is playing his game on.

When he is eating his breakfast, the camera wobbles slightly; this is to create the idea that he is really tired of being treated this way. When the camera freezes, it is emphasising how annoyed he is by being treated this way. When the people are picking on him come into shot, it is in the rule of thirds. Both the boys are higher in the shot than the teenager is; this shows that they think they are better and more dominant than him.

When the band all come into shot, a low angle is used. This is to show them all taking a step back to admire the work they have done. It makes it look like they are really proud of what they have created. Another low angle is used to show the garage door opening, this is so that what they have made isn’t revealed straight away. Close-ups are then used in order to show what they have made. This makes it feel like the big reveal. A low angle is used to make the machine look more powerful.

When the teenagers are all outside, it shows them all clapping and dancing to the music. This is to show that they are now part of the song that is being sung and that it is for them. By showing them clapping it shows that they are being united by the music. Close-ups of the band show that they are the ones who are leading the rebellion (‘we are the leaders of the not coming backs’). This is then re-enforced by the low angle that makes it seem like the teenagers are looking at them as role models.

Editing:

There is a lot of fast paced editing used to show the fast progression of what the band are making. The camera cuts between the teenager being bullied and them making something, this is to show that they are happening at the same time. Split screens are used quite a bit throughout the video; this is to show more than one aspect of a single narrative. A split screen is used when the girls are shouting at the boy, this is to show that it is more than one girl doing it and that they are doing it at the same time. Another is used to show the therapist and what she has written on her piece of paper. The love heart on the letter ‘I’ makes it seem like she isn’t taking it seriously what he has been saying to her. The video cuts a lot between the performance and the narrative. This is so that the performance is still able to tell the narrative while the narrative is happening. There is a quick cut to the blue print of the plan of the machine they are making. This is to show the audience what they have been up to for a large portion of the video. Another split screen is used at the end to show all the teenagers coming out of their homes. The split screen is used to emphasise how many teenagers there are.

Sound:

At the beginning of the video, there are insect sounds while the house is in shot. This is to show how quiet the neighbourhood is. This is completely different to how the video ends because at the end it is really loud. When they are making their machine, the sounds of the tools they are using are heard. This is to create verisimilitude and to contrast how quiet outside the house is. As the music gets faster, it shows the boys rebelling. The fast music is what represents the rebellion. At the end of the video, police sirens can be distantly be heard. This is to show how much of a disturbance they have been to the normally quiet neighbourhood.

Through the use of Mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing and sound, the video is able to convey a message of revolution and rebellion.

Form & Genre Conventions

Conventions of a music video:

• performance
• lip-syncing
• dancing
• a message that is being conveyed
• the artist
• costume changes
• props
• location changes
• editing
• a narrative

The History of Music Videos Article

From MTV to YouTube: A Brief History of Music Videos

Written by Christian CawleyMay 17, 2015

MTV isn’t keen on playing music videos these days, but when it did, it helped to define eras and careers, and became a phenomenon in its own right.

The music video didn’t simply appear out of nowhere in 1981 when MTV opened. Rather, there were many music videos before this, but few were successful, thanks mainly to only occasional airings on weekly pop shows on TV stations around the world.

While music videos are almost exclusively viewed on YouTube these days, this is only the latest stage in the evolution of a movie sub-genre that can be as elaborate as a feature film and as personal as a family photo.

In order to recount the history of this medium and show how it has evolved over the decades, we have taken a look at 10 of the most iconic music videos of the past 50 years.

“Strawberry Fields Forever” (1967)

The Beatles are, of course, the most important band in pop music history (even if Paul is Dead), whose influence is still felt almost 50 years after they split up. But what about their music videos?

Back in the 1960s, few acts recorded music videos. There was no MTV, and in an age of endless touring, artists couldn’t often make it to TV studios to perform. Having flirted with the idea of promotional films for their songs lifted from the movies, A Hard Day’s Night and Help!, The Beatles later recorded a series of promotional films for their singles after giving up touring in 1966.

While “I Am The Walrus” might be the most well-known Beatles “video” from this time, it’s the “Strawberry Fields Forever” promo film that is most important, featuring reverse, slow motion, fades, camera filters and slow mixes, and a collection of unusual, slightly imposing camera angles.

The Beatles weren’t alone in producing promo films in those days; other international artists such as The Kinks (“Dead End Street”, “Apeman”), The Beach Boys (“Good Vibrations”) and Bob Dylan (“Subterranean Homesick Blues”) employed the idea.

“Bohemian Rhapsody” (1975)

Eight years later, the music video was still nothing more than an occasional promotional film, usually the syndication of a particular TV performance. Some artists like David Bowie recorded promotional films, but on the whole this idea was ignored, with shows in Europe such asTop of the Pops preferring to accompany songs with dancers if artists weren’t available to perform.

When Queen’s epic “Bohemian Rhapsody” made the number one spot in 1975, the band was on tour and unable to make it to the recording ofTop of the Pops on BBC One. Instead, they recorded a special video for the occasion, featuring the band performing the beginning and end of the song on stage, and with a collection of stunning visual images using the latest video editing technology accompanying the middle “opera” section.

The reception to this video was considerable, leading it to hold the UK number one spot for nine weeks.

“Thriller” (1983)

By the time Michael Jackson’s solo career hit the stratosphere with hisThriller album, pop videos were more commonplace, with debut solo artists and established acts all spending time recording accompanying films and dedicated video performances to help sell their records.

Directed by John Landis (An American Werewolf in London, The Blues Brothers, one of those movies that can really match your mood), who co-wrote the screenplay for the video (in reality, the ultimate pop promo film), the 13 minute video enjoyed its worldwide premiere on MTV on December 2nd 1983.

“Thriller” has since been listed by the Guinness Book of Records as the “most successful music video,” and is the first music video added to the National Film Registry. Its impact is wider than this, however, influencing musicians and film directors alike ever since.

Look out for the American Werewolf-style transformation, arguably better executed in “Thriller” than in the original movie. And if you’re still in the mood for some Michael Jackson, why not learn how to Moonwalk?

“Money for Nothing” (1985)

Mixing early computer graphics with rotoscoped animation of Dire Straits playing live, “Money for Nothing” reached the US number one spot in no small part thanks to this video, which lead singer and guitarist Mark Knopfler had been extremely dubious about using.

Director Steve Barron called upon Ian Pearson and Gavin Blair to create the animation, employing a Bosch FGS-4000 CGI system and a Quantel Paintbox. The latter device was widely used in TV production towards the end of the 1980s through to the mid-1990s, and regularly used by the BBC on Doctor Who (and here are 50 more things every Doctor Who fan should know).

Pearson and Blair went on to Mainframe Entertainment, now Rainmaker Entertainment, producers of a wide selection of toy and comic book cartoon spin-offs as diverse as Transformers and Barbie, with a bit of Spider-Man thrown in for good measure.

“Money for Nothing” is also notable for featuring Sting on vocals.

“Sledgehammer” (1986)

Following his departure from Genesis, Peter Gabriel endured several years without a hit (first solo single “Solsbury Hill” aside) until this influential music video was commissioned by Virgin Records.

With the stunningly imaginative use of stop-motion video techniques (something you’d probably be able to do with a phone these days) by Aardman Animations (who would later produce the world-famousWallace and Gromit series), Gabriel’s head (and later body) is used as a template for a variety of real-world visual effects, from makeup to being turned into fruit.

The result was that the “Sledgehammer” video won a so-far unsurpassed nine MTV Video Music Awards in 1987, and is MTV’s most-played music video (not that they play too many of those these days).

Gabriel’s 1992 hit “Steam” also relied on cutting edge techniques, this time using CGI and other digital effects.

“Buddy Holly” (1994)

Directed by Spike Jonze, Weezer’s biggest hit was accompanied by the visual treat of a Happy Days mashup, with original cast members cleverly edited into the group’s performance in Arnold’s Drive-In diner, the popular eatery from the iconic 1970s TV show.

While interspersing contemporary actors and performers with historical footage is commonplace these days, it was far less common in 1994, having only really been successfully executed in Steve Martin’s modern film noir comedy, Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid. “Buddy Holly” won four awards at the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards, and was also bundled on the Windows 95 CD, listed under “Fun Stuff”, which contributed to the song’s success.

The use of tight editing and a body double enabled popular character Fonzie (Henry Winkler) to dance to the climax of the song, and you should also look out for Al Molinaro as the only contemporary presence from the original show, which ended in 1984.

“Virtual Insanity” (1996)

Jamiroquai’s biggest hit featured this awesome combination of dancing and an apparently moving floor, enabling singer Jay Kay to perform the vocals in memorable fashion. While it appears that the video is all one shot, it is in fact several sequences edited together with the subtle use of camera pans. That’s not the only magic at work here…

As you may have guessed, the floor isn’t really moving; rather, the camera is fixed to the set, which is being moved around on a grey, featureless floor.

Unsurprisingly, “Virtual Insanity” won four awards at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards, where the band gave a memorable performance, with Jay Kay dancing on two moving walkways installed on the stage.

“Baby One More Time” (1998)

Britney Spears’ debut single was released with this slightly cheesy high school-centric video from director Nigel Dick, and immediately tapped into the MTV audience, resulting in almost instant worldwide fame for the former Disney Club stalwart.

Unlike most of the other videos on this list, there is little in the way of special effects in this music promo. It is, instead, an example of the perfect synchronicity between a song and the accompanying video, strong direction, compelling choreography and realistic costuming (standard school uniforms were used).

The school used in the “Baby One More Time” video was Venice High School, which had previously found itself at the center of the cultural behemoth that is Grease.

“Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” (2008)

Filmed in black and white and featuring nothing more than Beyoncé and two dancers, well, dancing in what seems to be a single take (it isn’t), “Single Ladies” was awarded Video of the Year at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, and its popularity does not seem to have waned since. In fact, quite the opposite is true.

With the arrival of YouTube in 2005, music videos have moved wholesale from MTV to Google’s video-sharing site, where they can be enjoyed on demand, rather than forcing the viewer to wait until the track cycles round again. And so “Single Ladies” lives on.

While iconic, it is interesting to learn that the choreography was inspired by a very similar performance from The Ed Sullivan Show in 1969, choreographed by Bob Fosse, as demonstrated in this mashup.

Jake Nava’s direction, the use of black and white, the development of the 40-year-old choreography, and the fact that the video features an international superstar named Beyoncé, elevates this way beyond a cheap rip-off and into the iconosphere. The number of parodies inspired by this video is testament enough.

“Born This Way” (2011)

Lady Gaga has made music videos the focus of her pop single career more than any artist since Michael Jackson, so it should come as no surprise to find her stunning seven-minute-long “Born This Way” video concluding this list (and believe me, it was tough to choose just 10).

Directed by fashion photographer Nick Knight, the video features Lady Gaga in a number of guises, with scary-looking facial protrusions (in reality prosthetic makeup rather than sub-dermal implants) and various references to Greek and Roman mythology. Oh, and a Michael Jackson impression, appropriately enough.

It is, quite frankly, brilliant.

Speaking of parodies, it is actually a law of the Internet that we cannot talk about the amazing video for “Born This Way” without mentioning the other amazing video, for Weird Al Yankovich’s “Perform This Way”…

From MTV to YouTube… and Beyond?

Right now, I can unlock my phone, launch the YouTube app and enjoy virtually any pop video that has ever been made, wherever I am. It is a far cry from the experimental times of the 1960s, where adding some film to your latest hit record was considered avant garde.

Queen’s revolution of the music video, an experiment that the band repeated again and again with some fascinating results (such as “Radio Gaga” and “Innuendo”) kick-started a new aspect to the music industry, one that spawned the world’s most famous TV channel and the most famous video of all, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”.

Although MTV now shies away from its former role – partly out of pretensions of legitimacy as a producer of TV shows, and partly because its owners fear the competition of YouTube – it will forever be synonymous with the pop music scene of the 1980s and 1990s.

But where might YouTube take music videos? Are the astonishing videos of Lady Gaga taking advantage of the medium, or merely exploiting it? Could YouTube – or another service entirely – offer a brand new way of hosting, playing, and distributing music videos in the future?